Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare review – Battle Evolved

Review

October 3rd, 2014 By Dean Howard

Call of Duty is probably one of the longest running franchises to date. Those who've played its many sequels will no doubt have some idea of what to expect. Despite the review embargo, we were eager to get a copy of the game to discover what new features Sledgehammer games was bringing to the franchise.

One major complaint usually associated with Call of Duty games is the formulaic rinse and repeat strategy most seasoned veterans are well used to by now. Advanced Warfare does present a good amount of innovative ideas but what we wanted to know is if Sledgehammer Games utilized these ideas to create the next leap in the series genre.

The first major thing to know about Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is that it's the first in a 3 year development deal Activision has made with Treyarch makers of ( Call of Duty Black Ops) and Infinity Ward makers of (Call of Duty Ghosts. ) Adding Sledgehammer Games to the development fold should give each studio enough time to make the very best games they can on a yearly basis.

Call of Duty single player campaigns have always been packed full of exciting hollywood inspired blockbuster action and in that department Advanced Warfare does not disappoint. With a special focus on futuristic battles. Advanced Warfare introduces us to a new way of fighting, thanks to the exoskeleton suits - EXO for short.

Based in the year 2054, war has taken a new face with robotic drones, hover bikes and powerful futuristic guns. Navigating with the EXO suits may take a little getting used to when compared to previous games, but it does add a new high impact style to the overall gameplay. With the Exoskeleton suits soldiers are now able to leap incredible heights across environments and both the single player and multiplayer maps have been skillfully developed to inspire and reward these high risk movements in the heat of Battle.

Using the analogue stick, you will be able to do incredible things with the EXO suit like switch directions mid-air, blast forward, avoid fast speeding bullets and missiles by quickly flicking left, right, up and down on your DualShock4. The movements with the EXO suit is smooth and fluid, making Advanced Warfare feel uniquely different to other titles in the series.

Moving beyond the EXO suits, Advanced Warfare is still essentially a shoot-em-up. Apart from a few futuristic energy weapons. Most firearms are relatively standard to what you would find in most games.

There is a nice selection of multiplayer modes to keep you occupied once you complete the main story mission. Although most of these aren't exactly new, they do provide an addition level of social replay for your investment. The new map design looks great with stunning visuals and cutting edge landscapes that make full use of the power of PlayStation 4's hardware.

Another great new addition to the Call of Duty series is the introduction of a looting system. As you play through single, co-op and multiplayer modes there are opportunities to get new weapons, clothing, equipments and items which can then be viewed after each campaign or match.

When it comes to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare single player campaign, the game takes on a surprisingly new twist. Players EXO suits are randomly equipped with 3 new abilities in each chapter, from magnetic gloves to scale high-rise buildings, grappling hooks or even the ability to slow down speeding bullets like Max Payne.

Our only complaint about these features is that we couldn't use them beyond the stages where the game has been pre-programmed. Which is a huge shame as the idea of randomly scaling high buildings with magnetic gloves as part of a tactical battle strategy would have been a great option to have.

Call of Duty at times does feature moments where it is quite obvious you are no longer in control of the action, and Advanced Warfare is no different. Those used to these cleverly blended cinematic cut scenes mixed with user gameplay will understand and even appreciate theses trademark moments in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, while others looking for more control may not value these auto take-overs too much.

Overall

The introduction of the EXO suit is a great addition to the franchise and fans of the series will appreciate what Sledgehammer Games has brought to offer. This has to be one of the best Call of Duty games we've played in years. It's apparent that a lot of patience and time has gone into this release and maybe the three year development cycle has something to do with that. Advanced Warfare's multiplayer mode is well designed and skillfully detailed to take advantage of the new EXO mech system bringing a new sense of evolution to the future of tactical warfare.